Binding Properties and using them during lengthy operations - multithreading

Question

In my JavaFX Application I want to disable a couple of Buttons during a refresh of the data from a database.
I am using the disableProperty of the Buttons I want to disable.
Here is the basic JavaFX Application, modefied to illustrate my point:
public class BindLengthy extends Application {
BooleanProperty disable = new SimpleBooleanProperty(false);
#Override
public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
Button btn = new Button();
btn.setText("Say 'Hello World'");
btn.disableProperty().bind(disable);
btn.setOnAction(new EventHandler<ActionEvent>() {
#Override
public void handle(ActionEvent event) {
disable.set(true);
try {
Thread.sleep(5000);
} catch (InterruptedException ex) {
Logger.getLogger(BindLengthy.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
}
btn.setText("Done");
}
});
//Do all the other stuff that needs to be done to launch the application
//Like adding btn to the scene and so on...
primaryStage.show();
}
/**
* #param args the command line arguments
*/
public static void main(String[] args) {
launch(args);
}
When executed, on the click the Button stays in the "fired" mode, waits for 5 Seconds and then changes text and disables. While I want the text to change later, I want to disableProperty Change to take effect immediately!
I tried putting the lengthy operation, represented by Thread.sleep(5000) into a task and start it on a new Thread(task), but then obviously the text is changes before the Thread awakens.
I can't put the btn.setText("Done")into the Threadas it wouldn't be executed on the JavaFX-Thread(which it needs to). So I tried joining the Thread, yet that gives the same result as not putting it into an extra Thread as well.
How can I force the diableProperty to register the new value before executing my long operation?

Answer 1

Use a Task and use its onSucceeded handler to update the UI:
public class BindLengthy extends Application {
BooleanProperty disable = new SimpleBooleanProperty(false);
#Override
public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
Button btn = new Button();
btn.setText("Say 'Hello World'");
btn.disableProperty().bind(disable);
btn.setOnAction(new EventHandler<ActionEvent>() {
#Override
public void handle(ActionEvent event) {
disable.set(true);
Task<String> task = new Task<String>() {
#Override
public String call() throws Exception {
Thread.sleep(5000);
return "Done" ;
}
});
task.setOnFailed(e ->
Logger.getLogger(BindLengthy.class.getName())
.log(Level.SEVERE, null, task.getException()));
task.setOnSucceeded(e -> {
btn.setText(task.getValue());
disable.set(false);
});
Thread t = new Thread(task);
t.setDaemon(true);
t.start();
}
});
//Do all the other stuff that needs to be done to launch the application
//Like adding btn to the scene and so on...
primaryStage.show();
}
/**
* #param args the command line arguments
*/
public static void main(String[] args) {
launch(args);
}
}